What is a Polaroid Camera

The popular application, Instagram, used to take and edit pictures using your cell camera, has grown to become one of the most used social media networks. With the app, you are able to share your photos with friends immediately after taking them, thus Instagram. But where did the idea of sharing your photos instantly come from? In short, the app is a digital adaptation of the old school Polaroid Camera. So just what is a Polaroid camera?

History

Polaroids are cameras that print pictures instantly. Conceived of in 1943 by Edwin H. Land, founder of Polariod, when his daughter asked him why she couldn’t see photographs immediately after taking them. Edwin introduced the world’s first instant camera in 1947. In 1963, Polaroid introduced Polacolor, a film used specifically for Polaroid cameras, to take color photographs.

Polaroid was a hit, and continued to grow into popularity, especially among young people and families who wanted to quickly document their lives and the worlds around them. Waiting for a photograph to develop before your eyes was a magical and exciting moment and it beat waiting a few days to have your photos developed at a store. With Polaroid, you were immediately able to show friends and family your photograph and because the film is long-lasting, the photographs stood the test of time.

Modern Day Polaroid

Despite its fall from grace, groups of young people stayed loyal to the brand and continued to use Polaroid for its distinct style. In a world where everything is at the tip of your fingers, from lightweight laptops, to touchscreen smartphones that allow you to take quality photos, Polaroids may not be as convenient as it had been in the past, but it certainly holds the same allure as it ever has. The cameras represent a flash back to a different time and intrigued youth from a different generation.

Polaroid, picking up on this, created a camera that not only instantly develops a photograph, but saves it for digital upload as well. This was the way that Polaroid made its comeback. Polaroids are fun and different from today’s standard photo-taking experiences, and have a sort of artsy appeal to the younger generation.

Forever Classic

Polaroid cameras have captured many beloved memories instantly, and brought the joy of sharing photographs to countless people. Polaroid is the grandfather of instant photo-sharing of modern-day social networking and remains to be, by many rights, a cult classic. The Polaroid Camera hit cult classic status for the unique photography style that it creates due its immediate photo development process, and for the retro appeal.

How Much Are Polaroid Cameras & Where Can I Buy Them?

The most common place to locate both the camera and the film is online. For example, you can get the Polaroid PIC-300 in blue, black, red or purple from Amazon. It takes business card size instant color photos and works with Polaroid 300 Instant Film which you can also find on Amazon. You can even find a nifty case for protecting your camera. If you are worried about how much are Polaroid cameras, you’ll be happy to learn that this model is the best instant camera under $100, and you can great deals on film when you get multi-packs. It’s low cost and simple use make it the best Polaroid camera for kids as well. You can also find Polaroid cameras at Best Buy, Target and Walmart, as well as other retailers.

Although Polaroid is the company that first comes to mind because it has been around for more than 75 years, it is not the only brand of instant camera on the market. If you do a search for Best Polaroid camera under $200 you will notice there are some higher end options as well, such as the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 and Fujifilm Instax Wide 300. These may be a bit more expensive than the Polaroid PIC-300, but you’ll gain some nice features, such as the kids mode with a fast shutter speed for those moving targets.

With affordable options, and more professional ones with additional features, you can easily choose the right one for your needs. What things do you see each day that would be perfect for an instant, one-of-a-kind photo? Once you get one of these useful cameras in hand, you just might be amazed at all the opportunities that you will have to make use of it. Don’t worry though, because Amazon carries lots of photo albums too!

The Top Ten Polaroid Cameras of 2018

Do you want your vacation pictures to turn out crisp, picturesque, and amazing? No one wants their camping photos, birthday memories, or wedding pictures to come out blurry and unrecognizable. That’s why this list of instant cameras or Polaroid cameras has been created. Preserve your precious memories with a camera that will be reliable and there when you need it.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 90

The first of the Top 10 Polaroid cameras is the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Instant Film Camera. One of the best elements of this camera is its capability to detect the brightness wherever you’re located. It then adjusts its flash and shutter speed settings, so you don’t have to!

Polaroid PIC-300

The Polaroid Company is one of the first famous companies to offer an instant camera, so much so that many instant cameras are mistakenly referred to as Polaroids. This means they have had many years to perfect their cameras, and the PIC-300 is a great little camera for kids or a spur of the moment vacation.

Fujifilm INSTAX 210

If you’re in search of a higher quality instant camera, then you may want to check out this one. It has an LCD control panel that will display the focal distance and the film count, so you’ll never have to guess how many photographs you can take. There’s also a programmed electronic shutter that gives…

Polaroid Z2300

The Polaroid Z2300 10MP Digital Instant Print Camera is compact in size and has a three-inch color LCD screen so you can view images before you print them! It will print 2×3” photos in just under a minute, and it’s SD compatible if you want to expand the memory it holds up to 32GB. You can shoot…

Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, lightweight option for your next trip out, or you have a son or daughter who’s interested in photography, this is a great way to get started! The Instax Mini 7S from Fujifilm is made of a hard plastic, so it’s able to withstand a lot of wear and tear. You can drop it, and it’ll still work!

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8

If you like options when it comes to exposure, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is a great option. It automatically adjusts the exposure measurement for you by signaling the recommended aperture setting, and you can choose to use that setting or not.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 50S

This Fujifilm camera is excellent for those who want a lot of options with their instant photo camera. There’s a triple socket self-portrait timer, so you can take pictures of yourself, and they will come out great quality every time.

Polaroid Snap Instant

The Polaroid Snap Instant Digital Camera is unique in that is provides you with the quality of digital photographs with the ease of an instant camera’s capability to print images right away. You can easily print and…

Polaroid One600

The Polaroid One600 Classic Instant Camera is one of the newest Polaroid models available. This camera uses Polaroid Instant Film, which is a little different than the old-style film used in instant cameras. This film doesn’t need to be shaken in order for it to develop.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 25

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 25 Instant Film Camera is very simple to carry and easy to operate, so much so that a young child can use one. However, the lens is not cheap. It’s a high-quality lens made by the Fujifilm Company that takes high-quality photographs

Best Polaroid Camera of 2016

Instant film cameras are a must have for the shutterbug on the go! Whether you want to purchase a camera just for a vacation, or you would like one to take amazing photographs of scenic views and action shots, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Instant Film Camera is one of the best ones to get for 2016. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at some of the neat features it comes with.

Not only does the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Camera come with flash, but it comes with a high-quality flash that will emit just the right amount of light to adjust for the distance to the subject and the ambient brightness. The high-performance flash will optimize the exposure, giving you a picture that’s not too bright and not too dim.

Modes

There are six modes for this camera, which gives you a lot of options! There is the party mode that allows you to switch between Normal and Party modes. The party mode will capture both the background and the subject of the picture brightly. It does this by turning on the flash, in most cases, and prolonging the exposure in darker settings to allow the image to develop crisply.

The Kids mode is for capturing images of children, pets, and other quick-moving subjects. Using this mode is excellent for low light conditions, such as normal room lighting or on a cloudy day, too. So the next time your child’s playing a sport or your dog is doing something cute while they’re running, try using the Kid Mode for this camera.

Instax Mini 50S

There are also the landscape, macro, and bulb exposure modes. The landscape mode is suited for subjects that are around ten feet or more away. Think of a sunset over the ocean. That’s a photo landscape mode is best used for.

Macro mode is a new addition to the Fuji instant film cameras and allows you to enjoy very close-up shots of small subjects, such as insects, flowers, or text. This camera allows you to take pictures of subjects that are between eleven and twenty-two inches away from the camera lens.

The Bulb exposure mode will allow you to take images of subjects in very dark settings, such as the stars at night or streams of moving car taillights. The shutter will remain open for ten seconds as the shutter button is pressed down, enabling you to capture some very impressive light streaks. This allows you to take some pretty expressive shots.

The final mode for this camera is the double exposure mode. This mode will take two shots right in a row. When you select this mode and depress the shutter button twice, you will take two pictures right in a row for an expressive photograph. Photographs of children running across the photo frame come from modes such as this.

Brightness Control

There are four settings for the brightness control on the camera. These are Normal, Bright, Brighter, and Dark. The Normal setting is reserved for indoor or outdoor settings where there is adequate light. If your eyes are not straining, then it’s most likely normal mode.

The Bright mode is used for settings where you may be outside in dappled sunlight, but the lighting around the subject is still bright. The Brighter mode is used for settings where the subject may be standing in front of the sun or a very bright light source.

Lastly, the Dark mode is used for when the subject is in a dark location, such as in a room without any artificial lighting turned on or outside when the sun has just set. This mode will keep the shutters open for a lot longer to allow the light to get into the camera and to the film. When you use this mode, you want to make sure you use a tripod or put the camera on a steady surface to keep the photo from being blurry.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Instant Film Camera is an excellent camera for its price tag, and so it’s the best instant film camera you can get your hands on in 2016. You can use it in just about any setting, and you don’t have to be a professional to get an excellent photograph with this camera. However, if you are a professional, it’s still a neat camera to play around with and get excellent photos from!

ABOUT US

Are you looking for some throwback fun while using the improvements of upgraded technology? Let’s face it. We were all disappointed when they stopped making the old-school Polaroid cameras. While you can still find the film and pick up an old, but working camera as a rare find at a yard sale, or even on Ebay, there are some new options that use modern technology with the same concept that still offer the retro feel of an old polaroid but have been updated with some stylish minimalist features. They’re instant. They’re fun. They’re trendy. Our site is dedicated to bringing you the latest in instant camera technology. We hand pick and write reviews on what cameras are hot on the market as well as offer buying guides to help you in selecting the right camera for your needs.